Summary: This father’s day what do say we talk about our heavenly father...

LET’S BE HONEST THOUGH FATHER’S DAY IS JUST NOT AS BIG AS MOTHER’S DAY. THAT’S NOT SOUR GRAPES, THAT’S THE TRUTH. ON MOTHER’S DAY THERE IS A HIGHER ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH, MOTHER’S HAVE CORSAGES ON, EMOTIONS RUN HIGH, PEOPLE GATHER AT MOM’S HOUSE, TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE. BUT ON FATHER’S DAY, THE CHURCH IS NOT FULL, EMOTIONS ARE NOT AS HIGH AND BUSINESSES DO NOT PROFIT AS MUCH.

BUT THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE MOST FATHERS ARE NOT AS SENSITIVE TO CHILDREN’S NEEDS AND AS ALERT TO SENTIMENT AS MOTHERS.

I HEARD OF YOUNG MOTHER WHO WENT DOWN TO THE NURSERY AT A HOSPITAL AND FOUND HER YOUNG HUSBAND PEERING DOWN AT HIS NEWBORN BABY WHO WAS ASLEEP. THE MOTHER COULD TELL HE WAS CAPTIVATED BY THE SCENE AS HE STOOD THERE LOOKING AT THE SLEEPING INFANT. SHE WAS SO TOUCHED THAT FINALLY SHE TIPTOED UP BEHIND HIM AND SLIPPED HER ARM THROUGH HIS AND SAID, "HONEY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?" HE SAID, "I JUST CAN’T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY’RE ABLE TO MAKE A CRIB LIKE THIS FOR $89.95." FOR THE MOST PART FATHER’S ARE NOT AS SENTIMENTAL.

ERMA BOMBECK IN HER USUAL HUMOROUS WAY WROTE THE FOLLOWING ABOUT FATHERS, "WHEN I WAS KID A FATHER WAS LIKE A LIGHT IN THE REFRIGERATOR. EVERY BODY’S HOUSE HAD ONE BUT NO ONE REALLY KNEW WHAT EITHER DID WHEN THE DOOR WAS SHUT."

I REALLY STRUGGLED PUTTING A FATHER’S DAY MESSAGE TOGETHER - I HAD 3 DIFFERENT ONES WORKING AND ON FRIDAY MORNING I WENT BACK TO MY FIRST IDEA, AFTER SPENDING HOURS THURSDAY AFTERNOON ON MY THIRD IDEA - AND AT 10:30 AM I ALMOST WENT BACK TO MY SECOND IDEA BUT I TOLD MYSELF TO STOP THIS NONSENSE, I WAS GETTING DIZZY.

TODAY RATHER THAN TALK ABOUT EARTHLY FATHERS I want to in the brief time that we’ll spend together talk about OUR FATHER..... Recently I was once again reminded of just how great our Father really is and I want to talk about Him today.

We’ll be reading from the fifteenth chapter of the book of Luke -- and I am sure that those 3 stories are very familiar to you (we’ve talked about them several times), THE LOST SHEEP, THE LOST COIN AND THE LOST SON.... We have heard these POWERFUL stories of Jesus 100’s of times... But do you know what? They are not really stories about a sheep, a coin or a son -- Yes, those things are part of the story, BUT what these stories of Jesus are really intended to do, is to tell us is what OUR FATHER IS LIKE. And to show us how he feels about His children. So today let’s look at this stories and talk about OUR FATHER...

But before we begin, let’s briefly describe the audience that was present, when Jesus first unveiled these sparkling gems of God’s truth.

There were sinners and tax collectors present. They were the outcasts of society... Not many friends, and not much hope.. They were the ones who never seemed to able to measure up. No matter how hard they tried they always feel short. They knew something was wrong and missing in their life. They felt abandoned and no one really seemed to care that they were missing.

The disciples were there as well, they were men who had given up much to follow Jesus and they were well on the road... But they had been with Jesus long enough to know that they still had far to go. Therefore they were always eager to partake of the masters food. Theirs were hearts that were always open to the words of life.

And let’s not forget that the Scribes and Pharisees were there too. They were proud, confident, they needed no one, they had all the answers to life, they (or so they thought) knew who they were and where they were going....They were self righteous, judgmental and critical.

You know, as I look at the people here today, I don’t imagine that the crowd has really changed little over the last 2,000 years.

(CARRIED? BROKE LEG TEACH THEM TO BE DEPENDANT ON SHEPHERD AND STAY IN THE FLOCK)

Have you ever felt insignificant, like you didn’t matter, like you don’t count? Do you ever feel alone in a crowd, like no one really cares for you or about you? Have you ever tried really hard to matter to someone, to be valuable in their eyes, Have you ever wanted someone to really care about you -- but despite your best efforts they wouldn’t.